Perspectives and pitfalls in preserving subterranean biodiversity through protected areas

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Biodiversity Studies

Background:

• Subterranean ecosystems, encompassing terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic environments, face significant threats from human activities.
• Existing surface-protected areas are insufficient for conserving subterranean biodiversity.
• Establishing protected areas for subterranean ecosystems presents unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges in preserving subterranean biodiversity through protected areas.
• To assess general criteria for subterranean biodiversity protection.
• To implement protection based on precautionary principles, especially given uncertainties.

Main Methods:

• Examining the current status of European protected areas.
• Discussing solutions to enhance the coverage of subterranean ecosystems within protected areas.
• Analyzing technical obstacles in mapping 3D ecosystems and the scarcity of taxonomic expertise.

Main Results:

• Current protected area networks inadequately cover subterranean ecosystems.
• Technical, taxonomic, and collaborative challenges hinder the establishment of subterranean protected areas.
• A need for proactive assessment and implementation of protection criteria is identified.

Conclusions:

• It is critical and timely to develop and apply general criteria for subterranean biodiversity protection.
• The precautionary principle is essential for safeguarding these vulnerable ecosystems.
• Improved strategies are needed to integrate subterranean ecosystems into conservation planning.